Robert Rauschenberg (October 22, 1925 – May 12, 2008) was a painter and graphic artist from Port Arthur, Texas, best known for his Combines – artworks that blur the line between painting and sculpture by incorporating everyday objects as art materials. After spending time in pharmacology school and the navy, Rauschenberg attended the Kansas City Art Institute, the Académie Julian in Paris, Black Mountain College in North Carolina, and the Art Students League of New York where he met fellow artists Know Martin and Cy Twombly. Rauschenberg’s work may be considered Neo-Dadaist, a style that incorporates audio, visual, and literary elements in an effort to close the gap between art and daily life, often using common objects and appropriation. Travelling became an important part of Rauschenberg’s artistic process in 1984 when he began his Rauschenberg Overseas Culture Interchange. Rauschenberg received the National Medal of Arts in 1993, and his work is held in collections such as the Tate Gallery, London; the Museum of Modern Art, New York; and the Kunstmuseum Basel, Switzerland.